This is a thrown-together meal with no particular proportions. I used whole wheat spaghetti, and tossed it with a sauteed mix of green onions, baby spinach, a red pepper, and Melissa’s Steamed Lentils.
The lentils were pre-cooked, and I found them in the produce section of my supermarket. I love lentils but I’m not great at cooking them — I’ve yet to find the perfect balance between fully cooked but not mushy. These lentils, however, were perfect. They are vacuum-sealed, so they retain their brick-like shape even once you open the package; you’ll need to crumble the lentils into your dish to break them apart. But, for convenience and flavor you can’t beat them. My days of buying dried lentils except for soup may be over.
March 19, 2012
I fell in love with the photo of these roll-ups when I found the recipe on Budget Bytes. What kids wouldn’t want to try them? I used to always be able to answer that question with, “Mine!” But my boys continue to surprise me with their more-frequent open mindedness about new dinners. I did make some plain roll-ups — I filled four of them before I added the spinach into the cheese mixture — and reserved the sauce for the side.
I sectioned off the sauced v. non-sauced sections of the pan with some foil:
I couldn’t find whole wheat lasagna noodles in my regular supermarket on this shopping trip, though I’m sure I’ve seen them there before. I tried Dreamfields brand noodles for the first time instead, and they worked well. I thought the noodles had an off odor, but they tasted like regular pasta. I’d rather search out the whole wheat noodles next time.
Both boys ate this meal! G. had the plain cheese filling with sauce on top; A. preferred the grown-up version. When I told A. there were leftovers he could have the next day, he insisted “But only the spinach ones, with sauce!” We will be making these again.
Spinach Lasagna Roll-Ups
Adapted from Budget Bytes
olive oil
1 lb. lasagna noodles (look for whole wheat)
15 oz. part skim ricotta
1 c. shredded, part-skim mozzarella
1/4 c. grated Parmesan
10 oz. frozen spinach, thawed and thoroughly drained
1 tsp. garlic powder
salt & pepper
26 oz. jar marinara sauce
Preheat oven to 375° F.
Cook lasagna noodles according to the package directions, taking a minute or two off the lowest recommended time, and adding salt and a splash of olive oil to the water to keep the noodles from sticking. You want the noodles to be pliable, but still al dente since they’ll be baked before serving.
When the noodles are done, remove them one by one and lay them out on a tea towel, side by side. You can make stack them with a tea towel (or foil, or wax paper) in between so the noodles don’t stick to one another. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine cheese, spinach, and seasonings. With a spatula, spread a noodle from edge to edge with a thin layer of the cheese, and then roll it up from one short side to the other. Place the roll-up seam-side down in a large casserole dish that has been light coated with olive oil. Continue until all the roll-ups are complete.
Pour sauce over the roll-ups, and cover the pan with foil. Bake for 30 minutes, until the sauce bubbles. Serve hot.
February 11, 2011
Cheesy greens over pasta was a meal prompted by Bard’s post on my last CSA haul update — he is also a member of the same farm share. I was bemoaning the fact that we received both braising greens and collards in the same week, and neither are high on my list of yummy vegetables. Bard and his family make “cheesy creamed greens” out of those items, and I thought it was time I gave it a try as well.
I made a cheddar sauce based on the proportions in this cheese sauce recipe, using white cheddar and swapping out the broccoli for finely chopped, but raw, braising mix and collard greens. Once the sauce had come together, I tossed the greens in to be warmed through. This made them wilt a bit, but they still had some crunch; because they were chopped small I didn’t mind the texture, but these tough greens might have done better if they’d been steamed or sauteed first. I also should have added some garlic.
I mixed the sauce and greens into some prepared pasta, and served it with a flourish to the boys: “Cheesy greens!” They were unimpressed by the pretty flecks of purple (kale?) stems amongst the greens and my skill at successfully making a white sauce. I ate it, but didn’t love it. I might try cheesy greens once more next year, but I don’t need to be cooking homemade cheese sauce for myself (J. won’t eat cheese sauces, either). Looks like it’s back to soup for the greens coming into this house.
November 2, 2010
Pasta night last Thursday, with two choices of mix-ins. First, a thick sauce made of pureed roasted tomatoes and onions, with sauteed arugula, olive oil, and a little salt. It was a little bitter from the greens, but I was surprised it got a very enthusiastic response from most of the adults at the table anyway. Lauren and I agreed it would have tasted even better with olives blended in, and could be a dip or spread on bread rather than a sauce.
I also sauteed broccoli and spinach with minced garlic and olive oil as an alternative pasta topping. Lots of Parmesan available for sprinkling as well. Meals like this use up a ton of my farm share, and the boys are happy because they can have their pasta plain. A. has just discovered that he likes ketchup on french fries, so I’m holding out hope that enjoying marinara on noodles isn’t far behind.
October 10, 2010
I'm Dara, the Chick in the Kitchen. Living in the suburbs of Manhattan with my two school-aged boys and husband. Feeding my family something more diverse than a different shape of pasta each night. Read more 
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